Ferris State Posts 5-2 Series-Opening Decision Over Notre Dame

Aaron Lewicki had a goal and an assist in the Bulldogs' 5-2 win over Notre Dame. (Photo by Joe Gorby)

Jan 09, 2010

The 11th-ranked Ferris State University men's ice
hockey team continued their success in Central Collegiate Hockey
Association (CCHA) play as five different skaters tallied a goal in
propelling the Bulldogs to a 5-2 victory over the Notre Dame
Fighting Irish this Saturday (Jan. 9) evening in a weekend
league series opener between the two teams at UND's Joyce Center in
South Bend, Ind.

With the win, Ferris State improves to 15-4-2 overall and
9-2-2-2 in CCHA action this season as the Bulldogs are now 10-1-2
in their last 13 appearances.

Scott Wietecha's goal gave Ferris State a 1-0
lead at 6:08 into the opening period play on a blast from above the
left circle which sailed past Notre Dame goaltender Mike Johnson's
glove side. Wietecha netted his first lamplighter of the
season during a Bulldog five-on-three power-play advantage after
taking a cross ice pass from junior defenseman Zach
Redmond (Traverse City). Senior left wing
Blair Riley (Kamloops, British Columbia) also
picked up an assist on the game's initial score. Junior
goaltender Pat Nagle (Bloomfield) turned in a
solid first-period performance with some clutch saves as the FSU
netminder stopped all nine Irish shots on goal.

Notre Dame would quickly even the score up at 1-1 as the Irish
tallied 49 seconds into the second period on a rebound shot by
Kevin Deeth. A slapshot from the point by Brett Blatchford
caromed off Nagle to Deeth, who was positioned between the right
circle and the crease. Deeth promptly directed the puck into
the Ferris net to Nagle's glove side. However, the contest
didn't remain tied for long as Ferris State regained its one-goal
lead (2-1) when senior right wing Aaron Lewicki
(Livonia) potted his sixth goal of the year with 14:23 left in the
frame. Junior center Justin Menke (Shamrock,
Saskatchewan) took the puck into the Notre Dame zone and put a shot
on Johnson from inside the right circle which hit off his pad to
Lewicki, who was directly above the crease and
netted the go-ahead score. The Bulldogs would tack on their
second goal of the period and increase their advantage to 3-1 on a
Zach Redmond tally, his fourth of the year, just
1:15 later proceeding the visitor's second marker midst an
even-strength situation. Redmond produced
his second point of the night with a shot from below the blueline
after senior right wing Cody Chupp (Big Rapids)
won the faceoff. Notre Dame once again narrowed Ferris
State's margin to a goal at 3-2 with 3:09 remaining as a result of
Ian Cole's rocket shot from inside the right circle which
Nagle never saw the puck.

Ferris State controlled play in the third period as the Bulldogs
outshot the hosts by an11-3 margin while producing two more
goals in building their lead to 5-2. Justin
Menke lighted the lamp for his fifth goal of the campaign
at the 8:58 mark as junior left wing Mike Embach
(Orland Park, Ill.) and Scott Wietecha both
garnered an assist. The final score of the contest would come
with 6:02 left in the game on Mike Embach's
one-timer from the slot area off a faceoff pass by Aaron
Lewicki.

Pat Nagle (6-2-1) earned the victory with an
18-saves performance while his counterpart, Mike Johnson totaled 26
stops in absorbing the loss for the Irish. Ferris State would
conclude the contest by having a 31-20 shots on goal
advantage. Both teams were one-of-four in power-play
opportunities.

Ferris State and Notre Dame will square off again this
Sunday (Jan. 10) in the series finale, beginning at 4:05 p.m. (EST)
inside the Joyce Center at South Bend, Ind.